Crime Wave? Is Police Chief's Competence Enough to Mangage the Force his got?

One would have to wonder if increasing the citizens of Portsmouth's income tax rate by .06%  make the so-called "crime spree" disappear.  Is throwing more money, (good money) after bad money the answer?  Considering the track record of our city government, and their involment with known elements within our city who have stolen or robbed the citizens of their tax dollars.  And, I don't think I need to mention their names; you know who they are and they know who they are!  I think some strip malls are being built as we speak and some have already been built.  With the tax payers money from an illegal purchase of a white elephant of a building.  That's right!  $400,00.00 of the money to pay off a bank loan and the rest to finance a local developer's strip-malls.  Money that was suppost to be given back to the city in grants to improve it's infrastructure.

How about giving it back to help pay for the mold removal of our city building?  Or, to pay back the Amerisco deal that was a complete flop.  They still can't tell you how much the city has saved with these so-called energy savings scams!  Nobody monitiored this!

Martings Building - Did council look out for the citizens best interest?  Good stewards of our money?  NO!

Amerisco - Did council look out for the citizens best interest?  Good stewards of our money?  Do they monitor the savings that Amerisco said we would have?  NO!

Martings Building II - Did council look out for the citizens best interest, when they tried to force the building on us for a second time?  NO!

Street Paving Fund - Did council look out for the citizens best interest by taking millions over the last 10 years to pay for the fire and police department operations, salaries and benefits?  NO!

Water Fund - Did council look out for the citizens best interest by using these funds to pay for city employee's salaries and benefits?  NO!

Pension Funds - Did council look out for the citizens best interest by picking up the employee's share of 12-13% contribution to the pension funds?  NO!

Citizens of Portsmouth, I think you can see what I am getting at!  They do not have your best interest anywhere on their minds.

And, they don't with this new "Income Tax Increase" either!

I'm not saying make cuts yet in the police of fire department!  But, don't vote yes for this income tax increase and make it easy on them to solve their problems they created!

Why not try some other things first before going to the citizens and asking for more money.

• Amerisco - revist the contracts and ask them why some of the things that were promised to be done; not done!  Where is the data proving the savings that they guaranteed?  Demand answers on behalf of your constituency!
• Martings Foundation - ask for the money back to pay for infrastructure and building repairs.  Money they promised would be given to the city; not to a local developer to help hatch out his plans!
• Pension Funds - make the city employees pay the 12-13% of their pension plans once again.
• Insurance & Benefits - change the employees contibutions on the insurance premiums.  Consider downgrading the insurance packages.
• City Vehicles - don't allow city employees to drive city vehicles home or allow them to use vehicles or equipment for personal use.  Some rumors are that some employees are using city equipment to make money performing jobs while off the clock.
• Martings Building & Adelphia Building - sell them!  Cut are losses and get rid of them.  But, not for no sweet heart of a deal either!  That property should be worth 3 or 4 million now if we can get one of the SOGP appraiser to write us up a good appraisal.

Then after you councilmen have done some honest, hard work to remedy some of these problems!  I think you will find that you don't need our money!

Now, back to the crime wave.

The Portsmouth police department states that they have the following personel.

1. Chief
2. 2 Captains
3. 4 Lietenants
4. 8 Sergeants
5. 26 Patrolman (29 Patrolman possibly.)
6. 1 Administrative Assistant
7. 3 Administrative Clerks

So, how about do this.  The Chief, 1 Captain, 2 Lietenants, 4 Sergeants and the 26 patrolmen equal 34 people.

Have 4 groups of 7 officers patrol the city in 8 hour shifts.  Three shifts would be 21 patrolmen per day.  Only 40 hour work weeks.  The fourth group of seven officer would be implemented into the cycle of shifts to keep overtime down.  All patrolmen in each group will work all shifts.  That leaves 6 people un-accounted for on the patrols.  Divide them up into 3 groups of 2 per shift and they can rotate shifts as well.  Incase of call offs or sickeness or for just back-up.

Nobody, drives a car home to and from work or uses to drop kids off at school or whatever!  I believe we would have a more saturated equal coverage of this city than we currently have; not to mention more efficient.

Which reminds me... overtime!  I was told that the firemen have a little system set-up among themselves that they take turns calling off to ensure that they get overtime pay!  If you are already at the station and someone calls off you get paid overtime to stay.  Then eventually when your time comes around you will get yours too!  Something... that I'm sure that the union contracts have orchestrated in the bargaining unit to allow them to scheme a way to make more money!